Classic Ships: Their History and How to Model Them, No. 1 - HMS victory, N. Hackney

[Demostenes]

Hello, 

 

I am trying to get this book, but it does not seem easily available anymore. Only copy I found is on ebay and not selling in my country. Anybody owning this book willing to sell it? Thanks a lot!

[shipman]

Just keep a regular ebay search, they come up often.

Edited September 7, 2022 by shipman
Correction.

[Gregory]

I found this on Amazon US

 

https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Ships-Their-History-Model/dp/0850590531

 

Perhaps someone could purchase and forward to you.

[allanyed]

Welcome to MSW Demostenes.  

Please consider doing the polite thing of introducing yourself in the new member forum.

 

For folks with both, how does this book compare with Longridge's Anatomy of Nelson's Ships which I always thought was the epitome for someone wanting to build an accurate model of the Victory?

 

Allan 

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

    Hi Demostenes,

 

  With some searching (and patience), a copy of Hackney's #3 (Cutty Sark) was purchased.  I've noted else where that this series was done with the help and promotion of Airfix models - who made the plastic kits that are covered by the Classic Ships series.  Hackney covers a standard build, optional modifications, "Harbour Rig" and full-sail rig.  So there are four basic combinations ... each requiring a certain order of assembly - and some modification/rigging steps may also be omitted or further  modified.  To do this with the least number of pages (thus cost to publish), the book may be compared to a 'compressed file' because a complex lettering, numbering and asterisk coding scheme is used throughout.

 

  Thus the builder must first decide WHICH version of the ship/rigging is to be done, then must flip back and forth to get all the pertinent details.  Actually, it is on my 'to do' list for me to go through my book slowly and ferret-out all the applicable paragraphs/steps for whatever version I end-up deciding on building, then put them all in the proper order for my configuration ... which amounts to a 'decompression' of the data.  As a former manufacturing engineer (and a present Pharmacy Technician), this de-coding does not present too great a conundrum.

 

  The book's illustrations/schematics are invaluable, yet leave the reader wishing that there had been more of them for greater clarity.  I found that the Cutty model in question is only 1:150 scale (an kit was ordered from Korea 'just to see'), and very difficult to incorporate the extensive detail laid out in the text of the book.  Yet for a 1:96 model of either Cutty Sark or Thermopylae, the modifications/details may be reasonably accomplished.  Hackney's book may also assume some prior knowledge or exposure to Nautical terms - hence there are several other books noted elsewhere on this forum that are helpful in this regard.

 

  Keep your lantern lit ...    Johnny

[Demostenes]

5 hours ago, Gregory said:

I found this on Amazon US

 

https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Ships-Their-History-Model/dp/0850590531

 

Perhaps someone could purchase and forward to you.

Thanks for tip, unfortunatelly it is sold out:

 

"Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock."

[Demostenes]

4 hours ago, allanyed said:

Welcome to MSW Demostenes.  

Please consider doing the polite thing of introducing yourself in the new member forum.

 

 

Sure, sorry for that:

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/32896-new-member-introduction/

 

[shipman]

Hackney and Longridge are opposite ends of the spectrum, but each of them provides extremely good advice; one provides an introduction and guidance for the keen novice. The other is a tour de-force for the experienced modeller (much has developed in the hobby since they were published decades ago).

Still, if the intended readers can accomplish the advice given, then surely they would be well pleased.